Summer Passions by Michelle McMaster

Author:Michelle McMaster
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: 0
Published: 2012-07-30T23:00:00+00:00

III

THE WEDDING PARTY

WITH HEAD HELD high, Lady Althea Ramsay placed the handwritten note on the desk before the duke.

“I should like you to read that, Your Grace. My brother assured me that if I was ever in need of assistance, I was to come to you. He said you would help me.”

Hayden, the Duke of Wakefield, regarded the lady before him with some curiosity. Though one might try to make more of her fair complexion, mousy brown hair, and unremarkable hazel eyes, the fact remained that Lady Althea was most undoubtedly plain. At twenty-five years of age, she was a spinster. Her clothes were drab and uninspiring, as if to match the rest of her appearance.

The duke frowned. His late friend’s sister was a sad creature indeed. Her brother, Sir Eldon Ramsay, a neighboring baronet, had been Hayden’s most trusted friend during the Peninsular War. In fact, the man had saved Hayden’s life more than once. It had seemed ironic when Eldon, who had dodged more musket balls than anyone cared to count, had died from a fever shortly after returning home to England after the war.

Eldon’s estate, Salton Abbey, now belonged to his cousin, Sir Cuthbert Amberly. Sir Cuthbert had graciously provided a home for his predecessor’s sister and allowed Althea to stay on. But the new baronet had a young wife and family to consider as well.

Hayden opened the letter and read it. Emotions flooded through him as he perused his old friend’s penmanship. He could almost hear Eldon’s boisterous, good-natured voice in his ear.

My dear Hayden,

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